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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23152534">My kink does not play bingo.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elfwreck/pseuds/Elf'>Elf (Elfwreck)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DCU (Comics), Fairy Tales &amp; Related Fandoms, Firefly, Harry Potter - Fandom, No Fandom, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), multifandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fic Recs, Gen, Link Roundup, Literary Theory, Meta, Nonfiction, Tongue-in-cheek, Writing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2010-09-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2010-09-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:08:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,797</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23152534</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elfwreck/pseuds/Elf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>I want to talk about one of my shameful kinks: 14 Recs For 2nd Person POV fics</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>March Meta Matters Challenge</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>My kink does not play bingo.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I want to talk about one of my shameful kinks.</p><p>Shameful, in that those who share it tend to be quiet about it. It's not on any of the fic bingo exchanges I've seen. It's considered acceptable to publicly mock it, to proclaim it as unpleasant and undesirable, to declare proudly that one never reads such dreck.</p><p>Have you guessed yet? Probably not.</p><p>It's widely hated. It may not exist in professional novels, except in fragmentary references to very disturbing situations, and is considered so bizarre that very few short story anthologies will touch it. I admit that, when it's done, it's often done badly; this is only in part because there are so few examples. It's *hard* to get right. But it's exquisite when it's done well, and it can evoke feelings that nothing else quite reaches.</p><p>Guessed yet?</p><p>I wonder how long I can keep dragging this out. You're wondering, I would suppose, whether I'm talking about some squicky aspect of sexuality that you can't even think about without peeking through (metaphorical) fingers. Or if I'm referring to some sci-fi or fantasy plot device that's so unusual most people don't know it exists. Or perhaps, I'm speaking of the kind of surprise twist only found in "edgy" thrillers, the kind of thing that JA Konrath is gleefully planning for his four-author collaboration project that could never get past a mainstream publisher.</p><p>Heh. Nope. My kink (today, at least) is more abstract than that.</p><p><a id="cutid1" name="cutid1"></a>As a result of a recent offhand comment in a locked post, I was reminded of my love for 2nd person point of view.</p><p>Stop making that face. Yes, you.</p><p>It's a hard style to write. (How'm I doing?) It's suitable for introspection and abstraction, and it's widely used for angst. And it's prone to being pretentious as hell. (Which makes it an excellent vehicle for fics centered on James Kirk, the Doctor, Methos, or Bruce Wayne. Or pretty much any character in House MD--those doctors could take medals in the Ego Olympics.) I submit to you that those are not flaws, not limitations (any more than any literary feature is a limitation), but features: they give a landscape to the beginning of a fic.</p><p>Starting with the line "You wake up in..." sets tone much more strongly than "I wake up in..." or "he wakes up in...." It says, this fic is <em>intimate.</em> It's a forced voyeurism; the author creates a connection between the protagonist and the reader. It's an internal monologue with a filter--all the flaws and limitations of 1st person PoV and an additional level of <em>un</em>self-consciousness, of egotism or navel-gazing that the character's not consciously aware of. It blatantly says, <em>this fic has an unreliable narrator</em>.</p><p>They Might Be Giants have a song that says, "Every jumbled pile of person has a thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking, isn't thinking of." 2PoV can show you that part.</p><p>I've started collecting 2nd person fics. <del>The longest I've seen is just under 10k words, and that's (eep) in the She-Ra fandom. (She-Ra has a fandom? WTF, is that a Yuletide thing? Did someone write 10k words of 2nd person She-Ra as a *gift* fic?) I don't know She-Ra, have only dim memories of seeing it at all, and am not sure I'm going to read it.</del> No, not the longest. (I did some more searching after I started this.) The fandom that brings us clusters of 150k word epics has brought us 15k words of 2PoV; there's a Smallville CLex story. I'm... rather intimidated by the concept. Most 2nd person POV fic is under 3000 words.</p><p>And, since sharing the 2nd person POV squee means not just pontificating on its wonderfulness, but telling you where to find it, I've got a rec list. (I'm going to pretend *someone* else likes this stuff, because fandom means you're never alone, right? Right? Or should I just go back to my dubcon chan corner and shut up about icky kinks?)</p><p><a id="cutid2" name="cutid2"></a><strong>14 Recs For 2nd Person POV fics</strong><br/>
Some of these have warnings; I'm not including them here if they're mentioned at the top of the fic. More HP than anything else 'cos that's what I've read the most of.</p><p><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/154685">Ashes</a> by <span class="ljuser"><a href="https://killing-rose.dreamwidth.org/profile"></a><a href="https://killing-rose.dreamwidth.org/"><b>killing_rose</b></a></span>; Harry Potter; ~1000 words.<br/>
<em>Summary:</em> Rose is your surrender. You will not, <em>cannot</em>, be a Muggle now. You are not going to get another chance to escape.<br/>
<strong>My notes:</strong> Chilling and memorable; this one will haunt me for years. The POV allows some of the story bits to resonate on a personal level that's achingly disturbing.</p><p><a href="http://www.walkingtheplank.org/archive/viewstory.php?sid=772">Wabi-sabi</a> by Kai. Harry Potter; 2769 words.<br/>
<em>Summary:</em> Why Harry loves Severus.<br/>
<strong>My notes:</strong> Classic Snarry. ("Classic" here meaning both "pre-book 6 when everything changed" and "well-loved and included on many rec lists.") Some might claim this is 1st person; I think otherwise. This reads like a love letter; it feels personal, like the reader is intruding on someone else's (Severus') privacy. It's that level of invasion that shifts it from 1st to 2nd person.</p><p><a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/97554">A Heart's Bane</a> by <span class="ljuser"><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/rethereal/profile"></a><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/rethereal/"><b>rethereal</b></a></span>. Harry Potter; 535 words.<br/>
No summary.<br/>
<strong>My notes:</strong> 2nd person is terrific for self-castigation, for characters who are fighting with their own impulses.</p><p><a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/16188">Crazy For You</a> by <span class="ljuser"><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/reni_days/profile"></a><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/reni_days/"><b>reni_days</b></a></span>. Harry Potter, 3310 words.<br/>
<em>Summary:</em> Harry's gay. It makes Ron a little insane.<br/>
<strong>My notes:</strong> This one's considerably less angsty, but in a similar vein. It would work perfectly well in 3rd person limited, but would lose the unspoken self-doubts; 2nd person makes it obvious that every emotion is suspect.</p><p><a href="https://www.archiveofourown.org/works/1348639?view_adult=true%20rel="> Playing the Hero (Never Gets You Anywhere)</a> by <span class="ljuser"><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneTrollLogic/profile"></a><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneTrollLogic/"><b>spastic_visions</b></a></span>. Harry Potter, 2132 words.<br/>
<em>Summary:</em> When Harry falls, someone's got to take his place and Ron's not sure he can handle the pressure.<br/>
<strong>My notes:</strong> This is another one that'll stick with me. The premise is brutally reasonable and well-executed. I think part of the reason this &amp; the previous fic work so well for me is that I don't think of Ron as an introspective character, normally, so putting him in 2PoV is a way of saying "something is <em>really weird</em> in Ron's life, and it makes him have to <em>think</em>, and he doesn't like that."</p><p><a href="https://www.archiveofourown.org/works/266586">Though awkwardly unnamed</a> by Te (<span class="ljuser"><a href="http://thete1.livejournal.com/profile"></a><a href="http://thete1.livejournal.com/"><b>thete1</b></a></span>/<span class="ljuser"><a href="http://www.insanejournal.com/users/thete1/profile"></a><a href="http://www.insanejournal.com/users/thete1/"><b>thete1</b></a></span>). DC Universe, 4450 words.<br/>
<em>Spoilers/Timeline:</em> Up through the "Fresh Blood" storyline in <em>Robin</em> and <em>Batgirl</em>. Vague mentions of "No Man's Land," "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive," and various other older storylines. Takes place in some nebulous time after <em>Batgirl</em> #61. Blithely ignores post-"Fresh Blood" <em>Robin</em> canon.<br/>
<em>Summary:</em> You know you're incorrect.<br/>
<strong>My notes:</strong> Cassandra Cain as Batgirl is a <em>fascinating</em> character. Raised without spoken language and forced to learn to interpret body-language instead, she's perfect for 2PoV. 1st person would either seem too bright, or get too confusing as the author tries to portray the thought-processes of someone who doesn't think in words. 3rd works fine, but is more distant. 2PoV is dark and close, which suits Batgirl fic very well.</p><p><a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/7616">Incurable (the "All You Zombies" Remix)</a> by <span class="ljuser"><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/Alixtii/profile"></a><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/Alixtii/"><b>Alixtii</b></a></span>. Firefly &amp; others (multi-fandom crossover), 1475 words.<br/>
<em>Summary:</em> She knows there is only one person who can find, and save, her.<br/>
<em>Author's Notes:</em> For <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Ari">Ari</a>. Remix of <a href="http://wisdomeagle.livejournal.com/533294.html">Incurable</a> by Ari.<br/>
<strong>My notes:</strong> Someday, someone will write River/Cass fic and three new verb tenses will be borne of their coupling. Nothing says insanity like 2PoV. "Oh look," says the author, "and you can play along at home, too!"</p><p><a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/37200">Deep In Your Shadows</a> by <span class="ljuser"><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/alianora/profile"></a><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/alianora/"><b>alianora</b></a></span>. X-Men (Movieverse); 1162 words.<br/>
<em>Summary:</em> You have only been here, on this earth, for eighteen years. But you are not alone in your own head, and they have been here forever, almost.<br/>
<strong>My notes:</strong> The thing about Rogue is, second-person feels <em>natural</em> when reading about her. Because she's <em>not</em> alone in her head, and the reader could be just one more fragmented persona caught in her trap.</p><p><a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/17169">One For Another</a> by <span class="ljuser"><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/mistykasumi/profile"></a><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/mistykasumi/"><b>mistykasumi</b></a></span>. Fairy tales, 444 words.<br/>
<em>Summary:</em> Instead of death, he finds a cursed princess. A different look at Sleeping Beauty.<br/>
<strong>My notes:</strong> This is a different purpose for 2PoV. Instead of deep character analysis, it's taking an individual character and making him into Everyman. The protagonist could be <em>you</em>, reader, it says; this is <em>your</em> story.</p><p><a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/17171">Secrets</a> also by <span class="ljuser"><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/mistykasumi/profile"></a><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/mistykasumi/"><b>mistykasumi</b></a></span>. Fairy tales, 486 words.<br/>
<em>Summary:</em> He has many secrets, and even though you will uncover one of his secrets, you'll never discover the <em>right</em> one. A retelling of Bluebeard.<br/>
<strong>My notes:</strong> Again, 2PoV as a universalizing, rather than individualizing focus. But this one's more creepy, because this is not a happy-ever-after fairy tale; it forces the reader to consider her own choices, her own risks.</p><p><a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/29184">Observations</a> by <span class="ljuser"><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/sabinelagrande/profile"></a><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/sabinelagrande/"><b>sabinelagrande</b></a></span>. DC Universe, 2107 words.<br/>
<em>Summary:</em> "You don't know why everyone doesn't see it."<br/>
<strong>My notes:</strong> "You" as anonymous narrator. Another way of drawing the reader into the story, giving a front-row view of the action without interfering with it.</p><p><a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/84590">A World Without</a> by <span class="ljuser"><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/kaydeefalls/profile"></a><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/kaydeefalls/"><b>kaydeefalls</b></a></span>. LotR, 1401 words.<br/>
<em>Summary:</em> "Not only do you occasionally imagine a world without Merry, you often wish for it quite fervently."<br/>
<strong>Author's Notes:</strong> For the ContreLaMontre "subtle love" challenge.<br/>
<strong>My notes:</strong> This one's *fun.* Like Ron Weasley, Peregrine "Pippin" Took is not a character commonly associated with introspection and self-analysis. Nor are his thoughts about Merry particularly deep or profound… just important to him. 2nd person PoV lets them echo through the reader as well.</p><p><a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/84580"> Ice</a> also by <span class="ljuser"><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/kaydeefalls/profile"></a><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/kaydeefalls/"><b>kaydeefalls</b></a></span>. LotR, 597 words.<br/>
<em>Summary:</em> Grima has always been cold.<br/>
<strong>My notes:</strong> I mentioned "can be pretentious," right? This. This is an excellent example of 2PoV used to show someone so wrapped up in his own issues he's not even aware how much they filter his perceptions.</p><p><a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/51709">You</a> by <span class="ljuser"><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/Farla/profile"></a><a href="http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/Farla/"><b>Farla</b></a></span>. Pokemon, 2132 words.<br/>
<em>Summary:</em> In front of you is a purplish box. Looking closer, you see it says "Gamecube" on it. You don't remember if you were playing it before. You don't remember if you've ever seen this room before. You don't remember if this is something that should worry you.<br/>
<strong>My notes:</strong> This is tagged "experimental fic," and there's a <em>good</em> reason for that. This one's straaaange. 2PoV allows the author to lead you through… something; you have to read to find out what. One of the nice quirks of 2PoV is that the reader doesn't know who the protagonist character is until the author reveals it. Finding out who "you" are is part of the fun.<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p>There you go. Mini-essay of 2PoV propaganda &amp; rec list all at once; Go Forth, My Friends, And Read Some More. Find out what *you* like about 2PoV. (Or, y'know, keep hating it. It's not like I can send the Fandom Police after you to make you enjoy strange fic.)  Remember to drop a line to the authors if you enjoyed their works; 2PoV doesn't get much feedback.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally posted at <a href="http://elf.dreamwidth.org/344152.html">http://elf.dreamwidth.org/344152.html</a>, where there are comments.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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